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CLICK HERE FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH BARTLESVILLE WATER UTILITIES DIRECTOR TERRY LAURITSEN

UPDATED AT 5:57 p.m. on July 12, 2025

The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has issued a boil order for the City of Bartlesville water system based on sample test results taken last week in one of the system’s 40 testing sites. This includes not only water customers in Bartlesville, but also Dewey Ramona, Ochelata and several other rural water districts.

“We had a test result indicate bacterial activity in a sample taken at the 21th Street and Dewey Street location late last week,” said Water Utilities Director Terry Lauritsen. “This is one of the 40 testing sites throughout our water district.

“One of those test results, from samples pulled July 9, showed a positive result for E. coli. Those samples are sent to an independent laboratory for analysis, and we were notified late Thursday of the results. However, subsequent testing on July 11, with results received on July 12, yielded negative results for E. coli, though the sample site did test positive for coliform, which is an indicator of bacterial activity, which by itself is harmless. Subsequent testing on samples pulled July 11 adjacent to the failed test site were negative for both coliform and E. coli.”

Lauritsen said anytime a sample tests positive for coliform, that sample is automatically tested for E. coli.

City crews are currently flushing the lines in the affected area as a precaution, he said.

“We are flushing and testing that part of the system extensively and will be sending samples to the independent laboratory of the entire system this evening,” Lauritsen said. “If those samples pass, which we will know by tomorrow evening, the boil order will be removed.”

Lauritsen said while he believes the positive result last week is more likely a flaw with the sampling site than with the City’s water safety, Bartlesville water customers should boil their water for 60 seconds before ingesting it until the City is removed from the order.

“We believe this positive test is due to an anomaly with the sample station and does not reflect the overall safety of the water,” Lauritsen said. “We are doing all the necessary tests to demonstrate that and hope to be off the boil order by tomorrow.”

The order includes the following water customers

• City of Bartlesville
• Strike-Axe Highway 60 - Osage County
• Strikeaxe Airport
• Osage County Rural Water District #1
• Strike Axe (Chimney Rock)
• Dewey Public Works Authority
• Washington County Rural Water District #2
• Bar-Dew Water Association
• Le Ann Water
• Ramona Public Works Authority
• Washington County Rural Water District #5
• Ochelata Utility Authority
• Washington County Rural Water District #1
• Nowata County RW&S District #1

Here's a video statement from Ward 4 City Councilor Aaron Kirkpatrick

Below is the Boil Water Order Issued to the City of Dewey